The verse in James that jumped out at me is....
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sin. James 4:17
The Bible is quite clear that there are sins of commission (when we do something we are told not to do) and there are sins of omission (when we don't do something we should do).
The sins of commission are obvious and are probably easier to not only acknowledge and confess, but to be convicted of, to become aware of.
Sins of omission on the other hand are tricky.
A lot of it comes down to motive, attitude and what we've felt led to do by the Holy Spirit - none of which is visible to anyone else. Which makes it very easy to hide. Which makes it very easy to justify to ourselves. Which makes it very easy to continue to sin. Which makes it very easy to begin to drift away from God. Which makes it very easy to become a cancer in our soul.
Because we know it's sin.
Because we know it's sin.
And because we surely know that God knows it's sin.
God cannot be mocked. God cannot be deceived. God knows the heart. God knows our every deed, our every word, our every thought and desire, motive and attitude.
And a sin of omission is just as bad as a sin of commission. Jesus had to die for all the times I did not do what was right, just as much as He had to die for all the times I did wrong.
Even if it's not as outwardly obvious to those around us, it is just as serious.
Sins of omission can be as simple as choosing to do what is good instead of what is better.
We need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit. We need to not shrug off those feelings and rather pay attention to them and follow them where God leads.
And when we do, we will be blessed.
I wanted to quickly also mention the verse in 1 Timothy that hit me....
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
We're supposed to be praying for our leaders, for our government. And sometimes I do, but considering it's a commandment, I'm thinking I should do it more.
On the local Christian radio station there have been updates from the National House of Prayer about how, after a call to pray for our government, our Prime Minster Stephen Harper took a stand for Israel....
our Prime Minister gave an important and strong speech against Anti-Semitism. Many of us see it as another sign that our prayers are strengthening him in his stand for righteousness. Let’s keep praying for Stephen Harper that he will continue to show courage in taking moral stands even when it is not popular.
Here’s an excerpt below…
“We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is. Of course, like any country, Israel may be subjected to fair criticism. And like any free country, Israel subjects itself to such criticism — healthy, necessary, democratic debate. But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack — is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand. Demonization, double standards, delegitimization, the three D’s, it is the responsibility of us all to stand up to them.
“And I know, by the way, because I have the bruises to show for it, that whether it is at the United Nations, or any other international forum, the easy thing to do is simply to just get along and go along with this anti-Israeli rhetoric, to pretend it is just being even-handed, and to excuse oneself with the label of ‘honest broker.’ There are, after all, a lot more votes, a lot more, in being anti-Israeli than in taking a stand. But, as long as I am Prime Minister, whether it is at the UN or the Francophonie or anywhere else, Canada will take that stand, whatever the cost. And friends, I say this not just because it is the right thing to do, but because history shows us, and the ideology of the anti-Israeli mob tells us all too well if we listen to it, that those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are a threat to all of us.
“Earlier I noted the paradox of freedom. It is freedom that makes us human. Whether it leads to heroism or depravity depends on how we use it.” from here. You can read the full speech here.
Pray on, Canada and America, pray on!
Tomorrow's passage: 1 Timothy 3-6:10
2 comments:
That is amazing... and prayer for the leaders of our country is definitely something I need to do more often!
It's just so cool to see God at work!! That "praying for kings and rulers" verse caught my eye, too.
I think the part of today's readings that hit me hardest though, was James 3:13-4:12. I've been struggling (AGAIN!) with a lot of envy, bitterness, resentment, and self-pity lately; feeling like it's not fair that our friends around us seem to spend money on whatever they feel like buying while we can't even afford to spend on some of the things we need to, like home maintenance and repairs or replacing a vehicle that is rapidly on the decline. I will admit that one of my closest friendships has suffered this year because of the problems with my attitude.
I think the feeling like things are never going to change is the hardest to combat. It's easy enough to be grateful when I'm specifically thinking about being grateful, but that is definitely not my DEFAULT MODE!
So this passage was a bit convicting and I had to do a bit of repenting (AGAIN!) this morning.
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